Cast-metal truck bolster



March 1930. H. c. DR EIBUSS ET AL CAST METAL TRUCK BOLSTER Filed April 9. 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet .Z Nvs/vroxzs:

v HARRY C. DRE/B055 lq-rroR/vavs.

March 1930. H. c DREIBUSS ET AL 1,749,972

c'AsT METAL TRUCK BOLSTER Filed April 9, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 lIlIIInvlll/A INVENTOR5: HARRY c. DRE/5055 G50. 5. CH/LES fiTroR/vE Y5.

March 11, 1930. H. on DREIBUSS ET AL CAST METAL TRUCK BOLSTER Filed April 9. 1928 s Sheets-Shef, 3

650. 5. CH/LE Fntente Home HARRY G. DJRJEIB'USS AND GEORGE S. CHIEFS, OF ST. LGUJES, MYttTrSUlU'R/L .AfiS'litl-NORS "LCl S'G'UI LLEN STEEL COMPANY, 03? ST. LOTUIS,

MISSOURI, A CORFURATIO'N till llllllfldOURll CAST-METAL TRUCK BOJLSTEIL Application filed April 9,

This invention relates to cast metal bolsters, particularly car truck bolsters, of the type that are provided with hollow end portions of substantially box shape in general 5 outline.

ln the conventional cast steel truck bolster of this general type that are now in use there is a tendency for the bottom wall of the bolster to flex upwardly, due to the upward W thrusts which the bolster-supporting springs exert on the end portion of the bolster. At tempts have been made to remedy this defect by arranging vertical struts in the end portions of the bolster between the top and b0t- M tom walls, but said vertical struts have not fw wardly slightly.

The main object of our invention is to produce a cast metal bolster having hollow end portions which are reinforced and strengthened in such a way that they will not be deformed or flexed out of shape by the upward thrusts exerted on the bottom wall of the bolster by the springs on which the bolster'rests.

To this end we have devised a bolster havan ing hollow end portions of substantially box shape in general outline that are equipped with trusses disposed so as to cause the upward thrusts exerted on the bottom wall of the bolster to be transmitted directly to the top M wall adjacent the points where said top wall is joined o the side walls of the bolster. Said trusses can be formed in various ways without departing from the spirit of our invenw tion, but we prefer to use trusses composed ot oppositely-inclined members integrally connected at their lower ends to the bottom wall of the bolster, and diverging upwardly towards the top wall to which they are integrally connected adjacent the points where the side walls, or portions of the side walls, are attached to the top wall of the holster. lln order to reduce the weight of the bolster without sacrificing strength, holes are formed in the top and bottom walls and ribs or flanges 192B. herial No. 268,639.

are cast integral with the bottom wall so as to surround or partially surround said holes and also serve as attachments for the lower ends of the truss members. The particular cross-sectional shape ot the truss members is immaterial; they can be flat, curved slightly in cross section, or of any other preferred cross-sectional shape. Each truss can be formed by two diverging or oppositely-hr clined members, or pairs of diverging members can be used to form each truss.

in order to make it clear that our invention is applicable to any type of cast metal bolster provided with hollow end portions, irrespective of what particular type of means is used to guide the bolster, or what particular rangement oft springs is used to sustain to bolster, we have illustrated in the drawuigs several olifl'erent kinds of truck bolsters embodying our invention.

Figure l of the drawings is a top plan view, illustrating a bolster embodying our invention designed to be supported by six springs arranged under each end portion of the bolster and provided in its side walls with vertically-dis osed recesses for receiving the columns 0 the side frames of the truck.

Figure 2 is an end view of the bolster shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan view, illustrating our invention embodied in a truck bolster designed to be supported by tour springs ar ranged under each end portion of the bolster and provided on its side walls with laterallyprojecting lugs that embrace the columns of the side frames.

Figure 4 is an end view of the bolster shown inFigure 3.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of a bolster Whose end portions are reinforced and strengthened by pairs of diverging truss members.

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the bolster shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view, taken on the line 77 or Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a top plan view of a bolster whose end portion is equipped with a truss formed by a pair of diverging members that are ll-shaped in general outline.

Figure 9 is a. side elevational view of the bolster shown in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a transverse sectional View, taken on the line 10-10 of Figure 9.

Figure 11 is a top plan view, illustrating our invention embodied in a bolster whose end portions are'designed to co-operate with supporting springs arranged to form a central group and two single end springs.

Figure 12 is an end View of the bolster shown in Figure 11.

Figure 13 is a top plan view of a bolster whose end portions are designed to co-operate with supporting springs arranged to form a central group composed of five springs located intermediate two single end springs; and

Figure 14 is an end view of the bolster shown in Figure 13.

In the various views of the drawings A designates a cast metal bolster, herein illustrated as a truck bolster, which is provided with hollow end portions of substantially box shape in general outline. Each of said end portions is reinforced and strengthened by a truss that comprises at least two oppositelyinclined or diverging members 1 disposed so that the upward thrusts exerted on the bottom wail of the bolster by the bolster-supporting springs will be transmitted to the top wall 3 of the bolster adjacent the points where said top wall joined to the side walls or portions of the side walls .2 of the bolster. In Figure 1 we have illustrated our invention embodied in a bolster, each of whose end portions is designed to co-operate with six bolster-supporting springs, shown in broken lines, the sides of the end portions of the holster being provided with verticallydisposed recesses to that receive the columns 8 of the side frames of the truck, as described in our pending application for patent Serial No. 268,638, filed April 9, 1928. In order to reduce the weight. of the bolster one or more holes 2 are formed in the top wall and one or more holes 3 are formed in the bottom wall :12. The holes 3 in the bottom wall are surrounded or partially surrounded by ribs or flanges 4 that project. upwardly from the top face of said bottom wall, and the diverging truss members 1 previously referred to have their lower ends integrally connected to said ribs 4. The truss members 1 are preferably slightly curved in transverse cross section so as to impart sufiicient strength or stiffness to same to enable them to successfully transmit the upward thrusts exerted on the bottom of the bolster to the top wall y. When the bottom wall :21 of the bolster is provided with holesor openings 3, as previously described, it is, of course, necessary that said holes be located between the points or surfaces on said bottom wall that are engaged by the up er ends of the bolster-sup ortin springs. lhe end portions of a boldter 0? the construction above described will retain their original form and will not deflectout of shape when the bolster is in service, due to the fact that the trusses in said end portions will cause the upward thrusts on the bottom of the bolster to be taken up partly by the side walls of the bolster and partly by the top wall, thereby eliminating the possibility of the top wall of the bolster eambering slightly, as is apt to occur if a ver tical brace is used to transmit the upward thrusts on the bottom wall to the top wall.

Figure 3 illustrates a bolster whose end portions are designed to co-operate with tour bolster-supporting springs, the side walls of the bolster being provided with laterallyprojecting lugs w that are adapted to embrace the columns of the side frames ot the truck. Each end portion of the bolster is re inforced by a truss composed of oppositelyinclined or diverging truss members 1 whose upper ends are integrally connected to. the top wall 1 adjacent the side wall .2 and whose lower ends are integrally connected to a flange or rib 4 that surrounds a central hole 3" located at the center of the group of springs on which the end portion of the bolster rests. In the bolster shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7 the truss used to reinforce and strengthen the end portion of the bolster is composed of two pairs of diverging or oppositely-inclined truss members 1 whose lower ends are integrally attached to an upwardly-projecting rib or flange 4: on the bottom wall a: of the bolster that surrounds a hole 3" located at the center of the portion of the bolster which contacts with the upper ends of the bolstersupporting springs.

Figures 8, 9 and 10 illustrate a bolster whose end portion is reinforced and strengthened by a truss composed of two oppositelyinelined or diverging truss members l of substantially X-shapc in general outline, as shown in Figure 9, the upper ends of said truss members being attached to the top wall of the bolster at points adjacent the side walls and the lower ends of said truss members being attached to a flange or rib 4 that surrounds a central hole 3 in the bottom wall of the bolster.

Figures 11 and 12 illustrate our invention embodied in a bolster each of whose end portions is designed to co-operate with six springs arranged so as to form a central group of four springs, and two single end springs located at opposite sides of said central group. The upward thrusts exerted on the bottom wall of the bolster by the central group of four springs are transmitted to the top wall of the bolster by oppositely-inclined or diverging truss members 1 whose lower ends are integrally attached to a flange or rib 4 that surrounds a central hole 3 in the bottom of the bolster, and the upward thrusts exerted by each of the single end springs on that contacts with said single end spring. Figures 13 and 14 illustrate a bolster of substantially the same construction as the one shown in Figures 11 and 12, except that each of its end portions is designed to co-operate with seven springs arranged to form a central group composed of five springs and two single end springs arranged at opposite sides of said central group,there being this difference, however, i. e., that the lower ends of the oppositely-inclined or diverging truss members 1 which transmit the thrusts of the central group of springs to the top wall of the bolster are attached at their lower ends to separate ribs or flanges 4 on the bottom wall that surround or partially surround separate holes in said bottom wall.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A cast metal bolster having hollow end portions provided with reinforcing trusses disposed so as to cause the upward thrusts exerted on the bottom wall of the bolster to be transmitted to the top wall adjacent the points where said top wall is joined to the side walls of the bolster i 2. A cast metal bolster provided with substantially box-shaped end portions, and a truss in each of said end ortions comprising oppositely inclined or diverging members whose lower ends are attached to the bottom wall of the bolster and whoseupper ends are attached to the top wall adjacent the side walls of'the bolster.

3. A cast metal bolster provided with substantially box-shaped end portions whose bottoms have holes formed in same, and inclined truss members or braces in saidend portions attached at their lower ends to ribs or flanges on the bottomof the bolster and attached at their upper ends to the top wall of the bolster adjacent the side walls.

4. A cast metal bolster provided with a substantially box-shaped end portion whose underside is adapted to rest upon a plurality of springs, the bottom wall of the bolster having an opening located intermediate the points where the-bolster-supportin springs contact with said well, a flange or r1 on said bottom wall adjacent said opening, and opositely-inclined or divergin truss members in said end portion having t eir lower ends integrally attached to said rib and their upper ends integrally attachedto the top wall of the bolster ad acent the side wallsof same. v c

5. A cast metal bolster provided with a substantially hox=shaped end portion, and a truss in said end portion composed of pairs of oppositely-inclined or diverging members substantially box-shaped end portion, and a,

bracing means in said end portion designed so that the upward thrusts on the bottom wall of the bolster will be transmitted directly to the top wall of the bolster adjacent the points where said top wall is joined to the side walls of the bolster.

7. A cast metal bolster provided with hollow end portions, laterally-projecting lugs on the side walls of said bolster that are adapted to embrace the columns of the side frames, and trusses in the end portions of the bolster com rising inclined members, attached at their lower ends to the bottom wall of the bolster and attached at their upper ends to the top wall adjacent the portions of the side walls located between said lugs.

8. A cast metal bolster having a hollow end portion whose top and bottom walls are provided with openings, and inclined braces in said end portion located at opposite sides of 

